Remains of multi-phase medieval timber buildings, 62-64 High Street (EHER 7726)

Trial trenching and archaeological excavation in 1971-1972 recorded a continuous succession of structures, built on the site of a 10th century hall (EHER 7725). The 10th century hall was succeeded by medieval aisled hall, which had a detached kitchen and outbuildings to the rear in a courtyard. It may have been paved internally, and rooms were added in the 12th century to form wings which extended to the rear at either end of the building. It was dismantled in the late 13th century, after a period of slow decay, and the building was replaced with a 'flimsy', timber framed, cross-winged hall house. The kitchen was also rebuilt. The cross-winged hall house suffered fire damage in the late 15th century, which was evidenced by burnt timbers and large pieces of cob wall recovered from the excavation. It was replaced by a much superior timber framed cross-winged hall and outbuildings, which probably survived in the frame of the buildings which were demolished (without record) prior to the excavation. This building was altered in the 16th century with the addition of a cellar, and again later with a second cellar.

1971. Trial trenching. Trial trenched following demolition of buildings, in area believed to have been occupied by Carmelite Friary. Eighteenth century brick floors (EHER 7727) overlay medieval/early post-medieval earth floors. Lines of several cill beams were found, as well as the tops of two dwarf walls (for sleeper beams). A probably late medieval tiled hearth was found. A metalled yard surface was seen beyond the building. A relatively undisturbed building sequence was indicated on the front part of the site. Pottery, at least 13th century, some possibly earlier, was found. As late medieval layers were not removed, the start of the occupation was not known. Towards the rear of the plot, pits and boundary ditches defined the medieval plot limit. In the lower half of the site no trace of the Friary was found. A complex of ditches lay below the post-medieval topsoil. The most prominent feature in this area was a backfilled pond in which organic remains were found and which may have been the Friary fish pond. Pieces of worked stone with tooled faces and chamfers were found in the excavation. These, with a worn floor tile, could be building debris from the Friary or from St Peter's Church. <1> September 1971-February 1921. Archaeological excavation. The front part of the site was completely excavated, September 1971-February 1972. A continuous succession of structures from late 10th century was revealed. A late Saxon hall (see EHER 7725) was succeeded by an aisled medieval hall, with a detached kitchen and outbuildings to the rear in a courtyard. The hall had massive posts and other timbers were set in trenches. During the 12th century, rooms were added to form wings, extending to the rear, at either end of the building, and incorporating the previously detached kitchen area. A new rear entrance and a pathway to the courtyard were added. No floors were found, though thin sandstone slabs might indicate a paved interior. The floor was apparently removed late in the life of the building, during a period of slow decay when occupation debris accumulated on the underlying unfloored surface, until the building was dismantled in the late 13th century. The building which replaced the aisled hall is evidence of decline in this area of the town, being a flimsy timber framed structure, which was hardly raised above ground level on strips of clay and badly floored with gravel. The plan was of a cross-winged hall house. The kitchen area of the previous hall was rebuilt, with a hearth of unmortared peg tiles. The rest of the property included a courtyard, a garden and the beginnings, possibly, of an orchard. Another, detached building to the rear of the hall house was presumably contemporary. It consisted of a sub-rectangular trench filled with chalk rubble to act as a raft for the superstructure (which had not survived). A slot may have been for a major structural timber. Much of the frontage building was burnt down in the late 15th century. Burnt timbers and large pieces of cob walling were found over the floor where they had fallen during demolition. Afterwards, a much superior cross-winged hall was built. Much of its timber-frame may have survived as the frame of the buildings demolished in 1970 (without record). In its original form, the new building mirrored its predecessor but the timbers were set on dwarf walls of roofing tiles set in clay. The rebuilt and extended kitchen and outbuildings were similarly constructed and formed an almost entirely enclosed central courtyard. The hall house was modified in the later 16th century and later, including the building of a fine brick cellar with reverse-cambered floor for drainage, and the replacement of tile-and-clay dwarf walls with mortared tile ones. A second brick cellar was built under the central part of the cross-wing, and a series of mortared brick walls inserted. The latest of the walls survived a chequered history until abandonment in around 1912. Both phases of the latest structure were floored with timber planks on a thick clay bedding at first, then on joists set in clay, then on free-standing joists. The whole frontage area was sealed by a thin deposit of charcoal, sand and dust which had seeped through successive phases of the last type of flooring. The building was subdivided into three by (crosswing and two parts of the hall) - the central part attached first to one, then the other of the two which flanked it, possibly reflected in property boundaries to the rear. <2> <3> See also <4>. Site Assessment: Waterlogged medieval ditches and pond at rear of site would be preserved below a car park and road; therefore it would not be necessary to excavate them. <1>